


A Volleyball Carol

by pancake_surprise



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - A Christmas Carol Fusion, Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, Humor, M/M, Minor Shimizu Kiyoko/Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Ominous Volleyball Bouncing, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:07:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26075401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pancake_surprise/pseuds/pancake_surprise
Summary: Tsukki quits volleyball.But not if the ghosts of volleyball past (Daichi), present (Bokuto), and future (Kuroo) have anything to say about it.
Relationships: Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 8
Kudos: 89





	A Volleyball Carol

**Author's Note:**

> cw // alcohol 
> 
> I wrote this during a fever dream.

Volleyball was dead. Dead as a doornail. Or it might as well be as far as Tsukushima is concerned. Joining the volleyball team in high school was a mistake and one he isn’t going to waste any more time on. 

Tsukishima slams his locker shut and heads for the door, unaffected by the usual chaos taking place behind him: Hinata screeching about something or another; Noya and Tanaka feeding off each other, growing louder with every passing moment; Suga slapping Daichi, then Asahi heartily on the back. 

He pushes open the door with one hand and, without looking back, says “I’m quitting the team.” He doesn’t stick around to see his former teammates flip through states of confusion, shock, and something halfway between sadness and anger. 

Tsukishima doesn’t check his phone before going to bed. The barrage of phone calls and texts from his teammates is something for future Tsukushima to deal with. Or rather, something for future Tsukushima to delete without reading. He turns off his phone before rolling over and falling asleep. 

Bounce....bounce...bounce. 

Tsukishima opens one eye. 

Bounce....bounce. 

There’s a light growing brighter and brighter. He sits up and hastily pushes his glasses up into his face. 

The light grows more. It’s blinding. Tsukishima shields his eyes.

Bounce... 

A figure steps out of the light. It drops a volleyball to the ground, catches it, and drops it again. Bounce...

The light, though dimming, is still blinding, silhouetting the figure and shrouding it in darkness. 

The volleyball bounces again. 

“Tsukishima,” it says. 

He knows that voice. Tsukishima opens his mouth to speak but finds himself inexplicably unable to talk. 

“How did you get in my room?” He tries to ask but nothing comes out. 

“Tsukishima,” the figure says. “Do you know why I am here?” 

Tsukishima swallows. He is _not_ scared.

“Speak,” it commands.

The light finally fades enough for Tsukishima to actually look at the figure- to look at the Captain of the Karasuno volleyball team, Sawamura Daichi. In his bedroom. In the middle of the night.

“It’s inappropriate to break into your underclassman’s house in the middle of the night,” he says, with the same monotone imparted on his statement in the locker room. 

Daichi drifts closer. Maybe it’s a trick of the weird lighting or maybe it’s because it’s the middle of the goddamn night and he’s still half asleep but for a moment it almost looks like Daichi is _floating_ rather than walking. 

“Perhaps,” Daichi says. “That would be true if I were only your volleyball captain and upperclassman.”

“Former,” Tsukishima says, cutting him off. “Former captain.” 

“But,” Daichi says, unaffected by Tsukishima’s outburst. “I am more than your volleyball captain tonight. I am,” he pauses, “a messenger.” 

Tsukishima snorts. What a load of shit.

“Tonight you shall be visited by three ghosts. The ghost of volleyball past; the ghost of volleyball present; and the ghost of volleyball future. Listen well to what they have to say. Listen well or live content with the choices you’ve made.” 

“Sure,” Tsukishima says, dragging out the last syllable. “That sounds great but if you don’t mind, I’m going to go back to sleep.”

“Tsukishima,” Daichi booms. “I am the ghost of volleyball past. It’s time to go.” 

Daichi bounces the volleyball and Tsukishima is no longer in his bedroom.

Tsukishima is back in elementary school. Or rather he’s watching himself back in elementary school. Little Tsukushima is wearing Akiteru’s old volleyball shoes and getting ready for practice to start when Yamaguchi rushes in, thanking him profusely. Something swells in Tsukishima’s chest. It’s the beginning of something. Something important, even if he hadn’t known it at the time.

“Why are we here?” he says without looking at Daichi. 

“To remember,” Daichi says. He doesn’t elaborate. 

Tsukishima shrugs. 

Daichi bounces the ball.

They’re in a gym again. The gym where Yamaguchi and Tsukishima discovered Akiteru’s secret. He doesn’t want to be here. He’s expended too much energy burying this day deep in his memory. Hiding it under layers and layers of apathy. 

Little Tsukishima makes eye contact with Akiteru across the gym and Tsukishima flinches. 

“If you’re trying to convince me to come back to the volleyball team, then you’re doing a pretty poor job.” 

Daichi sighs. 

“We’re not here to bring you back to the team.” 

Tsukishima startles. If they aren’t here in some twisted attempt to get Tsukishima back on the team, then why bring him here, to the one memory he’d rather forget. 

“We’re here to remember.” 

Daichi bounces the ball and they’re outside. It’s the same day. The same gym. But now it’s just himself and Yamaguchi sitting on a bench in the park across from the school. He’s viscerally reminded of how he felt that day: betrayed, angry, sad. 

And Yamaguchi was there for it all. 

Daichi bounces the ball. 

The park bench is empty- the parking lot abandoned. It’s just Daichi and Tsukishima left standing on the sidewalk. 

“Have you remembered?” 

“How can I remember something I never forgot?” 

Daichi shrugs. 

“My time here is done,” he says. “These moments are important, Tsukishima. Keep them close to your heart,” he pauses. “My brother will be here soon. Remember Tsukishima, only you have the power to change your future.” 

“Hey! Hey! Hey!!” 

Tsukishima groans. What kind of dream is this? 

“Bokuto,” Tsukishima says. He’s tired. “Daichi already showed me my past but it doesn’t change anything. And my present is why I left. This is pointless. I’m going home, I’m not going back to volleyball.”

“Daichi was here!?” Bokuto says. “Ah! I can’t believe I missed him,” Bokuto shakes his head. “But you’re almost just as good Tsukki!”

Tsukishima grits his teeth and wills himself to wake up. He pinches the skin of his underarm. Hard. But to no avail. 

“You can’t wish your way out of this one,” Bokuto says. “And don’t bother clicking your heels together three times either.” 

“Clicking my heels?” 

Bokuto flaps a hand and shrugs. “I don’t know, it was in some old American movie that Akaashi made me watch. Point is, it won’t work.” 

“Let’s get this over with,” Tsukishima mutters. 

“Oh hell yeah, Tsukki! That’s the spirit!” 

Bokuto bounces the ball.

Tsukishima recognizes the house they’re standing in front of once the bright light fades. 

He swallows and pushes down the sudden pang of sadness that rips through his chest. 

Beside him, Bokuto bounces the volleyball once and then they’re no longer standing outside. They’re in Yamaguchi’s room. Yamaguchi is curled up on the floor, math textbook laid out in front of him and a notebook in hand. He isn’t looking at either. All his attention is focused on his phone. Yamaguchi sighs and unlocks it, pulling up Tsukishima’s contact. He hits dial. 

It rings. And rings. And rings. 

“You have reached the voice mailbox of...” 

Yamaguchi hits the end call button and sighs, leaning back to rest on the side of his bed. 

“Tsukki,” Yamaguchi mutters. “What the hell?” 

Tsukishima’s stomach twists and he wishes to be anywhere but here. It feels wrong. Invasive. 

“Bokuto,” Tsukishima says. 

“Yeah, yeah,” he says.

Bokuto bounces the ball.

They’re back in a gym, and after the time spent at Yamaguchi’s house, it’s almost a relief. 

It’s just a normal practice. 

Tsukishima isn’t there. 

Yamaguchi serves. 

Yamaguchi misses. 

“Brush it off!” Suga yells just as Nishinoya says “no big deal! Try again!” 

Yamaguchi gets the ball. 

Yamaguchi takes a deep breath.

Yamaguchi serves.

It hits the net.

He hangs his head. The ball rolls across the floor. The gym is silent. 

Tsukishima feels an inexplicable pull to go to him. He takes one step before Bokuto has a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder. 

Bokuto shakes his head. “Sorry Tsukki, we’re only allowed to watch.” 

“Come on Yamaguchi!” 

Tsukishima’s head whips to the source of the shout. 

Ennoshita isn’t even on the same side of the net. They’re on different teams for this practice game but he cups his hands around his mouth and shouts “Let’s go Yamaguchi!” over and over again. 

“Yes!! GO YAMAGUCHI!” Hinata yells. 

The gym erupts in cheers and words of encouragement. 

Yamaguchi raises his head. He looks right at Tsukishima, and for a moment, he’s sure Yamaguchi can see him. 

Nishinoya tosses Yamaguchi the ball. 

He rolls it back and forth in hands. 

Yamaguchi serves. 

There’s fire in Yamaguchi’s eyes. 

Bokuto bounces the ball.

“You don’t look so good,” Tsukishima says. 

They’re outside now. The sun is setting. 

Bokuto aged 25 years in the span of minutes. Within the span of another minute, deep wrinkles set in around Bokuto’s eyes. 

“Hey, do you need to sit down?”

“Is that concern I hear in your voice Tsukki? I didn’t know you cared!” Bokuto practically croons as his back develops a bit of a hunch. 

“Bokuto,” Tsukishima says, reaching out with one hand. “Are you sure you’re okay.” 

“Don’t worry Tsukishima,” Bokuto says with a twinkle in his eye. “I’ve always known this life of mine would only last a day. That’s the curse of the ghost of volleyball present. My time has come.” 

A cane appears in his hands just as two balls of light begin to coalesce on either side of him. Within moments two figures step out of the light, each with a hand on Bokuto’s shoulders. 

“Oh ho ho.” 

“Bokuto-san.”

“Akaashi!” says Bokuto with all the same exuberance despite his haggard appearance. “Bro!” he says fist-bumping Kuroo. 

“It’s time to go Bokuto-san,” Akaashi says, one hand gently guiding him by the elbow. 

Bokuto nods and turns back to Tsukishima. 

Tsukishima who is pointedly not. tearing. up. _Nope._

“Ah Tsukki! You do care!” Bokuto slaps him hard across the back and in the span of a moment Bokuto’s back straightens out. The wrinkles around his eyes dissipate. The haggard appearance is gone, replaced by the Bokuto Tsukishima met at training camp. “Well gotta go,” he says, ruffling Tsukishima’s hair one more time.

“Did you see me Akaashi?! I bet Tsukki will come back to volleyball now! I’m the best senpai!” 

“I saw, you did great Bokuto-san.” Akaashi says as they walk away, fading a bit with each step until it’s just Kuroo and Tsukishima left standing on the roof of Karasuno high school. 

“Let’s get this over with,” Tsukishima says. “Show me whatever so I can go home and go to bed.” 

“You know kid, you’d be better off enjoying the ride. I know you’ve got a pretty thick skull there but I’m sure even you can figure out by now that there is a reason for all this.” 

Tsukishima shrugs. Even if he did have some supernatural moment of clarity-, which he hasn’t, by the way- he certainly wouldn’t tell Kuroo about it. 

Kuroo bounces the ball once and they’re no longer on the roof. Instead, Tsukishima finds himself in an apartment he’s unfamiliar with. More than a dozen pairs of shoes are crammed into the entryway, and as many coats are thrown over the back of a chair. 

It’s muffled, but there’s the unmistakable sound of a party going on: cheering, laughter, and the occasional screech that can only be Hinata. 

Tsukishima takes in his surroundings slowly. If they’re in the future now, whose apartment are they in? It’s too homey to be his place, plus he would never willingly throw a party. Probably not Yamaguchi’s then either. He runs through the other possibilities before he catches sight of the framed photos on the wall. Most of them are of people he doesn’t know, but two close to the middle catch his eye.

It’s the team- minus him- they’re all sweaty and look tired as shit but nonetheless the whole team is smiling so wide it makes Tsukishima’s face hurt just to look. Yachi, Kiyoko, Takeda, and Ukai are squeezed in along the edges; faces equally thrilled and maybe just the tiniest bit proud. Tsukishima frowns and turns to the other photo. 

This one has far fewer occupants; Daichi and Suga are in the center, smiling wide with their hands clasped. They’re flanked by Ennoshita and Asahi respectively. Everyone is all wide smiles and watery eyes. And then it clicks. 

“I knew it,” Tsukishima murmurs. 

Kuroo snorts. “Yeah, the whole fucking world knew it.” 

“For real though,” Kuroo says softly, “It was a really beautiful wedding. You probably still would have scowled the whole time but I bet you would have liked it.

Tsukishima scowls.

“That’s the one,” Kuroo yells, laughing. “Anyway, Yamaguchi was there,” Kuroo adds. “He fucking tore up the dance floor, I bet you would have loved to see that, huh Tsuki?” Kuroo says, nudging him with his elbow. 

Tsukishima elbows him back; hard. 

“Oof, okay okay. No more procrastinating. Are you going to walk into that party or are you gonna make me bounce this ball?” 

Tsukishima sighs and looks toward the heavens, willing any god to just strike him down right here. But alas, no luck.

The party is somehow louder than any practice Tsukishima can recall. Maybe it's because everyone is above the legal drinking age now. Or maybe it’s just the mumbo-jumbo holiday spirit. 

“Okay, okay, okay,” Suga says, standing suddenly from his spot near the head of the table. He wavers for a moment, giggling, until Daichi’s hand settles on his back, steading him. “Okay,” Suga says again. “You guys might hate it, but this is my house, my party, and you’re my kids so you have to do as I say,” he giggles again. “We’re going to go around the table and one by one you’re gonna update us on your life. The important stuff, the boring stuff. I wanna hear it all!” 

Groans erupt across the table but Tsukishima is left with the impression that they’re more for show than anything else. Muscle memory. 

Daichi shoots the table a glare but there’s no heat behind it. Muscle memory. 

“You’re up Asahi,” says Daichi. 

“Oh, uh,” he stammers. “Noya and I got a kitten. Um, and that mean coworker I told you about got a new job. So uh, pretty good year.” 

“That’s great news Asahi! I can’t wait to meet your kitten! I’m going to buy her so many toys!” Suga says. 

“Ennoshita,” Suga slurs, still smiling brightly. 

“Suga we had brunch two days ago. I think you’re sufficiently caught up,” Ennoshita says, trying and failing to hide a shit eating grin.

Suga pouts. 

“All right. All right,” Ennoshita says laughing. “No need for the puppy dog eyes. I moved into a new place and, uh, I might have moved in with somebody -how should I say- uh, _important_.” 

“Scandalous!” Tanaka yells. He shoots Ennoshita two thumbs up. 

Hinata goes next. Then Narita, Kageyama, and Nishinoya. 

Daichi nods at Yachi. 

“I got promoted at wo-” 

“That’s my girl!” Suga practically shouts. “We’re so proud of you!” 

A blush covers Yachi’s face and she motions for Tanaka to take his turn before Suga can continue to lay on the drunken compliments. 

“Hold onto your fucking volleyballs, I’m about to blow you all off the court.” 

“Ah-hem,” Kiyoko says, hiding a smile behind her hand.

“Oh right, my bad. _We’re_ gonna blow you all off the fucking court.” He glances down at Kiyoko. She nods once. “Kiyoko and I,” he pauses, dropping the obnoxious bravado before continuing. “Kiyoko and I are trying to have a baby.” 

For a short moment, there’s nothing. 

The room erupts. Nishinoya and Hinata are screeching; Daichi’s already crossed the room to slap Tanaka across the back; Narita, Kageyama, Yamaguchi, and Kinoshita are cheering; and Asahi, Suga, and Yachi are huddled together next to Kiyoko bawling.

“Daichi!” Suga yells in between sobs, “We’re going to be grandparents!” 

The whole table erupts into laughter. Eventually, they settle down enough to continue their way around the table. 

As Kinoshita wraps up the story of his emergency appendectomy, Tsukishima viscerally remembers that there’s only one more person left to go. He has to get out of here. He has t- He makes for the door but Kuroo beats him to it. 

“Nuh-uh, kid. You listened to everyone else rattle on about their lives and you’re going to listen to him too.” 

“Yamaguchi!” Suga says. “Tell us everything.” 

Yamaguchi smiles and something in Tsukishima’s gut clenches. Is it possible to get sick in a dream? 

“I don’t think I can top Kinoshita’s appendectomy but I’ll give it my best shot,” 

He smiles and it's like looking at the stars and sun all at once. It’s blinding but Tsukishima has no choice but to keep staring, he couldn’t look away if he wanted to.

Yamaguchi is confident. He’s really confident. Tsukishima’s heart squeezes painfully. Confidence looks good on him. 

“I finally bought my own place in Miyagi,” he says. “And Coach Ukai asked me to mentor the new pinch server.” 

“Yamaguchi that’s great,” Daichi says and it’s clear he means it. 

“Have you heard anything from Tsukish-” Hinata starts.

In the span of a heartbeat, the atmosphere goes from jovial and warm to something far colder and distant. Tsukishima shivers. 

“Dumbass,” Kageyama stage whispers while elbowing Hinata in the side. 

Hinata clamps his hands over his mouth and shouts a muffled, “sorry!” 

The stars are extinguished. Yamaguchi’s bright smile is replaced by one far more pinched. Mechanical. Painful. 

“No,” he says. The word hangs over the table, dampening the party, weighing Yamaguchi down. 

It doesn’t matter if people can get sick in dreams, Tsukishima is pretty sure he’s going to puke either way. 

Kuroo bounces the ball. 

“What the fuck was that,” Tsukishima says through gritted teeth. 

“The future,” Kuroo says plainly. “Unless you do something about it.” 

Bounce. 

Tsukishima wakes up in his bedroom. The clock on his nightstand reads 5:00am, a full hour before he normally wakes up for the day. He scrambles out of the bed regardless. He pulls on his uniform, not bothering to fix the mismatched buttons he messed up in his haste. He rushes past the corner where he and Yamaguchi normally meet up. He bypasses his locker not stopping until he reaches the doors of the gym. He bows over, hands on his knees, out of breath. 

“Tsukishima?” 

“I want back on the team,” 

Daichi lifts an eyebrow. “Why the change of heart.”  
  
Tsukishima squints at him, still unsure if everything last night was actually a dream or if he fell into some weird universe where Daichi really was the ghost of volleyball past. 

Daichi claps him on the back, smiling.

“Glad to have you back.” 

Tsukishima wipes the sweat off his forehead. He nods. 

“The past is behind us,” Daichi says. “Let’s look forward to the future.” Daichi winks and pushes past to unlock the gym door. “Let’s get going.”

“Right,” Tsukushima says. 

  
  


**10 Years Later**

The party is loud. Maybe even louder than the first time he witnessed the event. Sugawara is just as drunk. Yamaguchi’s smile is just as bright. 

“Yamaguchi!” Sugawara says. “Tell us everything!” 

Tsukishima gently gives his thigh a squeeze under the table.

“Ah, well I don’t know that it will top an appendectomy, but uh Tsukki and I put in an offer on a house in Miyagi and we got it!” 

Yamaguchi’s smile is blinding. Tsukishima revels in it. 

Tsukishima shoots Yamaguchi a look. 

“Oh,” says Yamaguchi. “And Coach Ukai asked me to mentor Karasuno’s new pinch server.” 

“Yamaguchi that’s great!” says Daichi. “Congratulations to both of you!” 

Sugawara, who never fully recovered from Kiyoko and Tanaka’s annoucement, starts to sniffle again.

“My kids are all grown up,” he says. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> [find me on twitter!](https://twitter.com/pancakesurprisd)


End file.
